Ten-Minute Cookies and Milk

"It's hard to beat a freshly baked cookie right out of the oven, especially when it's accompanied by a glass of very cold milk. I remember when I was a kid, my mom would bake cookies and set them on the counter to cool. I always tried to grab a cookie without her noticing, but she always saw me coming, and would gently tap my hand, telling me that the cookies needed to rest a little bit before I could eat them. She probably didn't want me to burn the roof of my mouth, but all I wanted was a hot cookie, with warm melted chocolate, right out of the oven. And that's how we serve them to our guests at the restaurant: baked to order and hot from the oven, accompanied by a glass of cold milk, of course."

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Position a rack in the middle of the oven. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a Silpat.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the butter with the sugars and beat on medium-high speed until the mixture is light and fluffy, 8 to 10 minutes. Add the egg and beat until fully incorporated. Add the vanilla extract and beat until fully incorporated.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, and baking powder. With the mixer on low speed, add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture, 1 cup at a time, beating until fully incorporated. Either fold in the chocolate chips by hand or mix them in on low speed. The dough will be slightly sticky. You can use the dough right away or cover the bowl in plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 2 days to make it easier to work with.

Using a 1 1/2- to 2-inch diameter cookie scoop, spoon balls of the cookie dough onto the lined baking sheet. Lightly press the dough balls to 2 to 3 inches in diameter, leaving 2 inches of space between the cookies. Bake the cookies for 10 minutes, rotating the pan after 5 minutes, or until the edges are golden brown. (Note: It’s better to slightly underbake the cookies to maintain a soft, gooey center and a chewy, toothsome edge, but if you prefer a crispier cookie, flatten the dough balls more and bake for 1 to 2 minutes longer.) Serve warm, with a glass of very cold milk.